Switzerland-based global health charity Mercy Ships recently confirmed that the hospital ship Africa Mercy will be retired from service in 2028.
The ship's onboard equipment that can still be reused will be incorporated in Africa Mercy II, which is under construction at Guangzhou Shipyard International's facilities in China and is scheduled for delivery in 2028 and service entry in 2029.
Africa Mercy's retirement will leave only Africa Mercy II and the 2021-built Global Mercy as the only vessels in the Mercy Ships flee
Originally built as the Danish rail ferry Dronning Ingrid in 1980, the Malta-registered Africa Mercy was acquired by Mercy Ships in 1999. She then underwent an eight-year conversion period, after which she became the world's largest civilian hospital ship, a distinction she held until Global Mercy's delivery.
Africa Mercy entered service with Mercy Ships in 2007, replacing the charity's 1953-built Anastasis, which was originally operated as a passenger liner.
The ship has spent much of her operational service in Africa, being deployed to countries such as Libera, Benin, Togo, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Senegal and Guinea.